Thankfully for Chelsea, this rematch against Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League was not the repeat of the 2021 final that at one stage it threatened to be. Chelsea set out to survive and will head to the Nou Camp still in the tie and only 1-0 down, but to win this semi-final they will need to offer much, much more. The Blues will take heart from how they restricted and disrupted Barcelona at times, but a defensive, passive approach from Emma Hayes’ side leaves them requiring another mircale in the second leg.
Chelsea will not fear such odds but overturning this will take something special. Chelsea could not live with Barcelona to begin with, particularly the outstanding Caroline Graham Hansen, who sealed Barcelona’s 4-0 win in Gothenburg two years ago and returned to terrorise Chelsea here. To raise the Barcelona bench from its feet and to stun this team of global stars takes something magical, and that’s what the winger produced with her wonderful opener after four minutes. It looked a long way back for Chelsea then, but they hung on.
